


Blowing Off Steam

by sharpiesgal (TigerLily)



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Gen, Poker Nights, Stress Relief, bitch session
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/sharpiesgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The second-in-commands of Babylon 5 meet weekly for a poker night/bitch session, so that they don't strangle their immediate superiors in their sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blowing Off Steam

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roeskva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roeskva/gifts).



> This veered off from what I intended. I hope my recipient likes it.

Vir scuttled around Londo’s quarters making certain everything was in perfect order for Londo’s evening since he had plans to be elsewhere while Londo entertained his favorite concubine.

If his mother could see him now, she would rethink her position on his being assigned to Babylon 5 as a political boon for his father and the waste of money it really had become.

He paused in his dusting to turn a picture of Londo’s mother to face the wall. It wouldn’t do for the esteemed Lady Mollari to see what her son had become in his quest to recapture the former glory of the Centauri Republic.

“Vir!” Londo hollered from his bedroom causing Vir to softly sigh before putting down his duster to go see what Londo needed so urgently.

*&*

“Lennier,” Delenn softly called from the doorway of Lennier’s quarters. She was loathe to interrupt his meditation since it was the first time in many days she had seen him so calm and at peace.

“Yes, Delenn,” Lennier quietly answered as he quickly stood from his meditation pose. He had been at it longer than he had thought, but it was needed since the last few days had been more frustrating than they needed to be. “Do you require assistance?”

“No,” Delenn replied with a warm smile. “Marcus is here for his daily training session.”

“Ahh...yes,” Lennier murmured as he picked up his mat and efficiently stowed it away. He had completely forgotten about this training session.

“Would you like me to give him a message?”

Lennier opened his mouth to say no because a revered member of the Grey Council should not be reduced to delivering messages, but he shut it when he remembered that Delenn wanted to be treated as a normal Minbari. 

Delenn raised an eyebrow in question and Lennier quietly asked her, “Could you please tell him I will meet him in the gym in ten minutes?”

“Yes, I can,” Delenn answered and left to deliver his message.

Lennier shook his head and quickly went about getting ready for his and Marcus’ training session.

*&*

Susan Ivanova softly swore under her breath as she watched her carefully organized docking schedule go straight to hell as two privately owned freighters nearly collided with one another trying to be the first to dock in the same spot.

“That was a little too close for comfort,” Lt. Corwin commented from his station near the large window that overlooked the docking area and Ivanova silently agreed.

“Have Zack pay each of the captains a visit,” she ordered as she headed toward the door. “I want them to know that such stunts are frowned upon and if they like to continue to enjoy the services that we offer, they need to grow up and follow my docking schedule.”

“And if they don’t?” Corwin inquired.

“I’ll kick their asses out the nearest spaceport,” Ivanova said with the barest hint of a smile.

Corwin murmured, “Right,” and relayed her message reminding himself to never get on her bad side.

*&*

Marcus gingerly picked himself off the practice mat wondering what he had done to annoy Lennier this time. “Just for a bit of clarification,” he calmly remarked as he retrieved his fighting sticks. “Did I piss in your Wheaties in a previous life?”

“What?” Lennier snapped thoroughly confused by Marcus’ question.

“What have I done now to annoy you?”

“Nothing,” Lennier answered. “But, you have been slacking in your personal training and it could mean life or death, especially for the person you would be protecting.”

Marcus nodded. He hadn’t been training as diligently as he once had, but he knew the people he was protecting could handle themselves in a fight. He refrained from saying this out loud because he knew Lennier would see it as an affront and would do everything in his power to show him the error of his ways once again. “Shall we go again?”

Lennier nodded and raised his fighting sticks in lieu of a verbal response.

*&*

Vir silently keyed in the security code Zack had given him months before to the door of an unused storage room off of the docking bay. He slipped inside and began to make preparations for the weekly poker game that he and the other second in commands participated in. It was a way for them to commiserate about their fates and their bosses.

He was joined minutes later by Ivanova who deposited a bag on the table that suspiciously clinked since it was her turn to provide refreshments. “It’s been that kind of a day?” he quietly asked pleased that he was finally getting a hang of some of Earth’s colloquialisms. 

“You could say that,” she replied as she took a seat away from the door. “Zack won’t be joining us since he has to deal with two idiots who tried to take out each other and the docking bay in their haste to unload their goods earlier.”

“So Sheridan wouldn’t let you space them?” Marcus inquired as he and Lennier entered the room.

“No,” she answered with a shrug. “He considers it bad for business.”

Marcus snorted in derision as he settled into the seat next to Ivanova which afforded him an unobstructed view of the door.

“Violence isn’t always the answer,” Lennier quietly remarked settling into his usual spot on the other side of Ivanova.

“No,” Ivanova agreed. “But I like to keep my options open.”

“Indeed,” Vir murmured in agreement having settled into what was considered the dealer’s seat. “So what shall we play tonight?”

*&*

They played an hour longer than they usually did as they air their grievances when it came to their jobs and especially their bosses.

Ivanova called it blowing off steam and once Marcus explained the analogy to him and Lennier Vir considered it a good one.

He pocketed his meager winnings as he slowly cleaned up returning the room to its previous unused state. He wasn’t in a hurry to return to his quarters because he knew Londo would be there drunk and waiting to regal him about his nightly adventures.

He picked up the bag that Ivanova left behind not surprised that it clinked less than it did before. He stowed it in one the cabinets secreted through out the room.

He gave the room one last look over before turning out the lights, locking up and heading back to the Zocalo and his favorite nightcap.

Fin


End file.
